@ShaneSchaetzel This argument assumes its conclusion. It defines the church as visible institutional succession. Then concludes the institution with the best succession wins.
But that premise is what’s disputed. The NT defines the church as believers not an org chart of bishops
@J9bdgf@reddit_lies Love of the church doesn’t prove Christianity is true. It proves the church is functioning as designed. The truth claim stands on the resurrection
@Brcremer Do you think we’re stupid?!
The pope is a foreign head of state influencing American policy.
Thats not the same as American citizens reading the Bible in their own capital.
Here’s a simple way to get unstuck when you’re worried, overwhelmed, or overthinking a decision.
Ask yourself one question:
What kind of thing am I dealing with?
Most issues fall into one of three categories.
1. Settled Things
These are things that have already been decided.
Your birth family.
Your nation of origin.
Your height.
Your past decisions.
Your upbringing.
Things you did.
Things done to you.
Some of these things were decided by your own past actions. Others were decided by God’s providence. As Paul says in Acts 17:26, God determined our appointed times and the boundaries of our dwelling place.
You can’t go back and change these things.
So the question is not, “How do I undo this?”
The question is, “Does this have any bearing on what I should do now?”
If not, leave it alone. Don’t spend your life fighting settled things.
2. Action Things
These are things you have some real control over.
Your diet.
Your exercise.
Your spending.
Your work ethic.
Your attitude.
Your friendships.
Your theological knowledge.
Your presentability.
Your habits.
Your skills.
These are your controllables.
You may not control everything about your health, finances, relationships, or future. But you usually control more than you think.
So if the issue falls here, don’t overthink it.
Take direct action.
Start small if you have to. Make the call. Go on the walk. Open the Bible. Apologize. Apply for the job. Pay the bill. Clean the room. Do the next faithful thing.
3. Prayer Things
These are things outside your direct control, but not outside God’s control.
The economy.
The weather.
The housing market.
The availability of a suitable spouse.
Other people’s choices.
Timing.
Open doors.
Closed doors.
You can’t force these things. You can’t grab the steering wheel of providence.
But God can act.
So you take indirect action through prayer. You ask. You wait. You prepare. You remain faithful. You do what you can do and trust God with what only He can do.
So ask yourself:
Is this settled?
Then accept it and learn from it.
Is this actionable?
Then do something.
Is this outside my control?
Then pray and trust God.
This is a simple framework, and yes, it’s a little reductionistic. But that’s the point. The goal is not to explain every complexity of life. The goal is to get you unstuck.
Most people waste too much energy trying to change the past, control what belongs to God, or pray about things they simply need to obey.
So categorize the issue.
Then act accordingly.
Accept what is settled.
Act on what is yours.
Pray over what belongs to God.
@buttonslives Reformed, confessional churches. They preach from the whole Bible including sin, Satan, suffering and God's sovereignty over all of it. They don't skip hard stuff to keep you comfortable. They'll give you a theology of evil that's been tested for 2,000 years, not a TED talk.
@mandyarthur@grok Hey @grok, who is the radical left’s favorite constitutional conservative congressman to quote, platform and praise? Very concise. Just the name.
@mandyarthur@grok hey @grok after 13+ years in Congress, how many bills has Thomas Massie actually gotten signed into law? Very concise. Just the number.
Most people think AI means you write less. It's actually the opposite.
Writing is context. Context is what makes AI useful. If it's not written, you can't hand it off to an agent. Better writing, better results.
The best AI users are going to be good writers.
The answers to many modern problems are simple but politically incorrect.
So instead of solving anything, everybody pretends they don't know what's going on, and spend years misdiagnosing the issue, talking in circles, and wasting time.